FIT TO BE TIED: Photos depicting a resemblance between a coat Phoebe Philo just paraded on Céline’s runway for fall 2013 and a 2004 design by the late American designer Geoffrey Beene have been circulating among fashion folk in Paris, with designers Alber Elbaz and Karl Lagerfeld said to be among recipients of the images. “I must say I was a little shocked,” Lagerfeld commented.
The coat in question is a trapeze style shown with the sleeves knotted in the front. The similarity was also highlighted on the blog of New York zine Garmento.
Asked for comment, the Geoffrey Beene Foundation told WWD that the late designer has “inspired designers over the past several years” and that the coat in question, “recreated by Céline in 2013, was a signature piece of Mr. Beene’s and a representation of how timeless his pieces were.”
Asked about the apparent similarity, a Céline spokeswoman had no comment.